2015 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE steering

WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly stowed items can fly through the vehicle, causing serious personal injury during hard braking or sharp steering or in an accident. Loose items can also be struck and thrown through the passenger compartment by the front airbags if they inflate. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
x Always stow all objects securely in the vehicle. Always put luggage and heavy items in the luggage compartment.
x Always secure objects in the passenger compartment properly with suitable straps so that they cannot move into the deployment zone of a side or front airbag during sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver, or in a collision.
x Always keep storage compartments closed while driving.
x Never stow hard, heavy, or sharp objects in the vehicle's open storage compartments, on the shelf behind the rear seat backrest, or on the top of the instrument panel.
x Always remove hard, heavy, or sharp objects from clothing and bags in the vehicle interi-or and stow them securely in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
Transporting heavy objects causes the handling characteristics of the vehicle to change and increases braking distances. Heavy loads which are not properly stowed or secured in the vehicle can lead to a loss of vehicle control and cause serious personal injury.
x Transporting heavy items causes the handling characteristics of the vehicle to change by shifting the vehicle's center of gravity.
x Always distribute luggage evenly and as low as possible within the vehicle. The vehicle capacity weight figures apply when the load is distributed evenly in the vehicle (passengers and luggage).
x Always stow luggage and heavy items in the luggage compartment as far forward of the rear axle as possible.
x Never exceed the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or Gross Axle Weight Ratings, which are printed on the Safety Compliance Certification Label located on the door jamb of the driver door. Exceeding the permissible weight can cause the vehicle to skid and behave differently.
x Always adapt your speed and driving style to accommodate your payload and its weight distribution within your vehicle.
x Be especially cautious and gentle when stepping on the accelerator pedal and avoid sud-den braking and other maneuvers.
x Brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
NOTICE
The defroster heating wires in the rear window can be damaged by objects that rub against them.

Tire wear
Tire wear depends on several factors, including:
x Driving style.
x Unbalanced wheels.
x Wheel alignment.
Driving style – Fast cornering, hard acceleration and braking increase tire wear. If you experience increased tire wear under normal driving conditions, have the vehicle suspension checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Unbalanced wheels – The wheels on a new vehicle are balanced. When driving, however, various conditions can cause a wheel to become unbalanced. Unbalanced wheels can cause wear to the steering and suspension systems. Have all wheels rebalanced. A wheel must always be rebalanced if a new tire has been mounted.
Wheel alignment – Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive and uneven tire wear, impairing vehicle safety. If you notice excessive or uneven tire wear, have the wheel alignment checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
WARNING
Unusual vibrations or pulling to one side can indicate tire damage.
x Reduce speed immediately and stop when it is safe to do so.
x Check tires and wheel rims for damage.
x Never drive with a damaged tire or rim. Get expert assistance instead.
x If no external damage is visible, slowly and carefully drive to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer, authorized Volkswagen Service Facility, or other qualified workshop and have the vehicle checked.
Compact spare wheel

Fig. 98 In the luggage compartment: Compact spare wheel.

WARNING
Improper use of vehicle keys can result in serious personal injury.
x Always take the key with you when you leave the vehicle. The engine can be started and vehicle systems such as the power windows can be operated, leading to serious personal injury.
x Never leave children, disabled persons, or anyone who cannot help themselves in the vehicle. The doors can be locked with the remote control vehicle key. This could result in people being trapped in the vehicle in an emergency. For example, depending on the time of year, people trapped in the vehicle can be exposed to very high or very low temperatures.
x Heat buildup in the passenger and luggage compartment of a parked vehicle can result in temperatures in the vehicle that are much higher than the outside temperatures, particularly in summer. Temperatures can quickly reach levels that can cause unconsciousness and death, particularly to small children.
x Never remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle is moving or rolling to a stop. The steering wheel will lock and you will not be able to steer or control the vehicle.
Leaving the key in the ignition for a long time when the engine is not running will drain the vehicle battery.
Leaving the selector lever for a long period of time in any position other than Park (P) when the ignition is switched off can drain the vehicle battery.
On automatic transmission vehicles, the vehicle key can be removed from the ignition switch only when the transmission is in Park (P). You may have to press the release button on the transmission selector lever to put the lever into Park (P).
Starter button

Fig. 115 In the lower center console: Starter button for the Keyless Access system.

Fig. 116 Hold the remote control vehicle key to the right of the steering column: Emergency starting feature on vehicles with Keyless Access.

Please perform these steps only in the order listed.
Step Vehicles without Keyless Access Vehicles with Keyless Access
4. Turn the vehicle key to position ⇒ fig. 114 (2) – do not depress the accelerator pedal. Briefly press the starter button ⇒ fig. 115 – do not depress the accelerator pedal. An authorized vehicle key must be inside the vehicle in order to start the engine.
5. When the engine starts, release the vehicle key. When the engine starts, release the starter button.
6. If the engine does not start, switch off the ignition and start again after about 1 minute. If the engine does not start, switch off the ignition and start again after about 1 minute. Use the emergency start feature if necessary
7. Release the parking brake when you are ready to start driving

WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running, especially when it is in gear. The vehicle could move suddenly or some other unexpected event could occur, resulting in property damage, fire, or personal injury.
WARNING
“Starting fluids” can explode and can cause a “run-away” vehicle condition.
x Never use starting assist fluids.
NOTICE
x You can damage the starter or the engine if you try to start the engine when the vehicle is still moving, or if you try to restart the engine right after switching it off.
x Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle acceleration, and heavy engine loads when the engine is cold.
x Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle. Unburned fuel can get into the catalytic converter and damage it. The steering column may also be locked.
Do not let your vehicle warm up while standing; instead, start driving right away after making sure that you have good visibility through all windows. This will help the engine reach operating temperature faster and keep down emissions.
Major consumers of electricity are temporarily switched off when the engine is being started.
After starting a cold engine, there may be increased operating noises for a few seconds. This is normal and harmless.

Leaving the selector lever for a long period of time in any position other than Park (P) when the ignition is switched off can drain the vehicle battery.
Shifting with Tiptronic®

Fig. 123 Selector lever in Tiptronic position.

Fig. 124 Steering wheel with Tiptronic shift paddles (if equipped).

Using Tiptronic with the shift paddles behind the steering wheel (if equipped)
x The paddles ⇒ fig. 124 (arrows) work when the selector lever is in the Tiptronic position or when the selector lever is in Drive (D) or Sport Drive (S). You do not have to move the selector lever over to the right into the Tiptronic position.
x To upshift, pull the paddle on the right + /&& toward you.
x To downshift, pull the paddle on the left – toward you.
x To switch off Tiptronic mode, pull the paddle on the right + /&& toward you and hold it there for about 1 second.
Tiptronic will switch off automatically if the shift paddles have not been used for a while and the selector lever is not in the Tiptronic position.
NOTICE
x During acceleration, the transmission will shift automatically into the next higher gear before reaching maximum engine speed (rpm).
x If you use Tiptronic to shift into a lower gear, the transmission will downshift only when doing so will not over-rev the engine.
Driving with automatic transmission

Steering